Flexible tube



Jan. 26 1926.

` w. H. FULTON .er AL FLExxBLE 'russ Filed sept. s. 1919 vwenrozs Patented Jan. 26,1926.

ATENT orales..

WILIIIJAM H. FLTON, F IRVINGTON, HERMAN SHELLMER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TITEFLEX METAL HOSE CO., .L

CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

FLEXIBLE TUBE.

Application iiled September 5, 1919. Serial No. 821,741?.

To ,aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that we, WILLIAM H'. FUL- TON, a citizen of the United States :of America, residing at' Irvington, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, and HERMAN SHELLMER, a subject of the King of England,.residing at Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fleirible Tubes, ofwhich the 'following is a specification.

This invention relates to :tube formed from a strip which is helically .coiled and the edges of adjacent convolutions interfolded, and wherein flexibility isf'provided by means of corrugations. A

Such a tube is shown in the Patent No. 1,198,392, Louis H. Brinkman, patented September 12th, 1916. IIn the tube therein zo shown the interfolded parts ofvthe joint do not comprise any packing. It is advanta eous however', under some conditions and or some uses, to place a packing between radial- `ly displaced parts of the interfolded joint n or seam, while the longitudinally displaced parts are positively held against relative movement longitudinally of the tube. d It is ltherefore. the main object of the 1nvention to provide a tube of the character indicated having a packing between radially displaced parts o the seam having longitudinally displaced parts positiyely held against relative movement longitudinally of thetube o Other and ancillary objects of the invenf tion will appear hereinafter.l l

In ,the accompanying drawings`Vr which 1llustratethe invention,

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and artly in side elevation showing a tube em- Eodving the invention and aportion of a machine by which it `may be formed; and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line2-2 of Fig. 1` indicating the manner inwhich the packing string or strip and the metal strip from ances ma require'to be increased to accomgro modatet e packing) a strip or cord of packwhich` the tube isformed, are fed into the' ing material such as asbestos or other suit- -able substance beingfed into the joint at anappropriate stage in the manufacture. As the metal strip, of which the tube is formed, is fed into the forming die l, it is of a cross section includinof the curled `over portion 2, the central longitudinal groove 3 and-the right hand portion 4 (Fig. 1). As

the strip progresses laround the mandrel 5 having the screw thread 6, the portion 4 will, after one revolution, be bent into the right angled section as shown at 7. A portion of this right angled sectionis embraced by the curled-over edge 2 of the succeeding convolution which is being fed into the die andas this curled-over portion is fed-in,

there is fed in with it a cord or strip 8 ofV suitable packing material such asa cord of asbestos. This strip will enter in between the radial portion of the right angled section as shown at 7 and the left hand side of the curled-over portion as shown. As the mandrel revolves and draws the strip into the forming die, the packing strip, bein gripped between the porti ns of the meta strip.` as described, will be rawn in with it so that there will be a continuous packing of the joint as it is made. From'the point wherethe packing string enters the forming die as described, lthe engaging portions of adjacent convolutions of the metal strip will be carried forward, as the mandrel revolves, through the various bendinghannels of the die, until as the tu'be leaves the die. it will have a 'oint' as shown in cross section at 9.

It will e observed that the packingis between portions of the interfolded joint which are displaced radially of the tube while the interfolded parts, forming the 'oints between vthe convolutions', positive y engage with each other so that they are held a ainst relative movement longitudinally o the tube. It will be seen that the extremeI edge of each convolution extends to andl abuts against thel bottom of the fold of the adjacent convolution, there being no clearance so that the `interfolded parts are positivel held against movement'with relation to eac other longitudinally of the tube.

The tu compressed longitudinally so that the sides of the walls of the central longitudinal eve in the strip will be relexed, a section of the tube so operated upon being shown at e asv delivered bythe die may be y 10. The exterior of the tube Will thenhbe" detail in the patent above referred to.

Enough has been disclosed herein to enable those skilled in the art to suitably incor- 10, porate the packing in the tube.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application, it may have other embodiments Without departing from its spirit and is not, therefore, limited to the structure shown in the drawings.

What we claim is:

1.A flexible tube comprising a helica strip having edges of adjacent convolutions interfolded, said strip having a longitudinal fold or groove, and the parts interfolded together having positive engagement with each other holding them ermanently from relative movement longitudinally of the tube and a packing interposed between portions of said interfolded parts which ortions are diplac-ed from each other radially of the tu e.

2. A exible tube comprising a helical strip having edges of adjacent convolutions interolded, said strip being bent transversely to provide iiexibility and the parts interfolded together havin positive engagement with each other hol ing them permanentl7 from relative movement longitudinally of the tube, and a packing inserted between portions of said interfolded parts which portions are displaced from each other radially of the tube.

3. A flexible tube comprising a helical strip having' edges of adjacent convolutions interfolded, said strip having a longitudinal fold or groove andl the parts interfolded `to getherhaving the extremity of the edge of one convolution extending to the bottom of the fold in the other convolution, there being no clearance between the said extremity and the bottom of the fold against which it abuts, forming a positive engagement holding the interfolded parts permanently against relative movement of the parts longitudinally oi.- the tube, and a packing interposed between radially displaced portions offthe interfolded parts.

Intestimony whereof We have signed this specification the 29th day of August, 1919, and the 2nd day of September, 1919, respectively.

WILLIAM H. FULTON. HERMAN sHELLMiER. 

